The Vikings are riding high with a 4-1 record and a share of first place in the NFC North. They’ve done it with a defense that has allowed just 33 points during a three-game winning streak and an offense that features what coach Leslie Frazier calls the NFL’s best running back (Adrian Peterson) and its most versatile player (Percy Harvin).

I talked Monday, Oct. 8, to Frazier about Harvin and Peterson, the defense and how enjoyable it is for him to be atop the division.

BS: Is it safe to say you’re sleeping better on Sunday nights after a game than you did most of last year?

LF: (Laughs.) Yeah, definitely. I’m not tossing and turning and not playing back the last play of the game or the last series of the game.

BS: Percy Harvin has been averaging 10.2 touches a game. Is that enough for a player with his talent or will you try to find ways to get him the ball even more?

LF: With his production, it’s been great. If he’s averaging 10 a game, that’s outstanding. It’s kind of where we targeted him at. We have him actually targeted more often but around that many touches is close to where we want him to be.

BS: Not higher? Every time he touches the ball something good usually happens.

LF: Some of it depends on the game. There are times he’s targeted more than 10 times, but if he gets it 10 to 12 times it’s pretty good. But the game itself depends on that a little bit.

BS: Is Adrian Peterson part of the reason Harvin isn’t getting more touches. It’s not like you have an average back. If Peterson was average, maybe you could put Percy Harvin in the backfield more. But it’s hard to bench Adrian Peterson, isn’t it?

LF: No, no. You don’t want to be doing that. Adrian Peterson is the best running back in the National Football League. And we think we have a good tight end. And we think we have some wide receivers who’ve come along. So you want to be able to spread it out a little bit.

BS: Finish this sentence: Percy Harvin is the most versatile and dangerous offensive player since …

LF: Gale Sayers and Terry Metcalf. Those two guys were dynamic with the ball in their hands. And I don’t know anybody else other than Percy that makes me think about those two guys. (Sayers played with the Chicago Bears from 1965-71. Metcalf was with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1973-77 and, after three seasons in the CFL, he was with the Washington Redskins in 1981.)

BS: I was trying to think of someone in the past 10 or even 20 years. Maybe LaDainian Tomlinson in his prime.

LF: He didn’t have the special-team capabilities. He didn’t have the kickoff and punt return capabilities. But Sayers and Metcalf, they were so multi-dimensional. They could do all those things. And every time they touched the ball, you thought something great was going to happen. And it often did.

BS: You’re 4-1 but there has to be something in the back of your mind that worries you. What is it?

LF: I’ve been around some successful teams. You want to make sure you don’t lose your focus and you don’t forget the things you’ve done to put yourself in this position.

BS: I would think making sure your players can handle success would be a concern. Handling success is a big step in a team’s evolution, isn’t it?

LF: It’s a big step and this week was a big barometer regarding that. (The Vikings beat the Tennessee Titans 30-7 on Sunday, Oct. 7.) We were getting ready to play the Titans, and we emphasized to our players what it would take to win that game after coming off a big road win (in Detroit) against a divisional opponent. So to see how they responded gives me hope we’re maturing as a team.

BS: What was impressive about the win was you did what you had to do. You didn’t just beat the Titans, you were better, and you showed it with the final score. That’s got to make you feel good.

LF: It does. You don’t want that to be a game that went down to the final possession. For our guys to come out and jump on them early and play through the game, that’s a good sign. This team and this defense is playing as good as I can remember here in Minnesota. They’re doing a great job, getting turnovers, stopping the run, not giving up big plays in the passing game. We had no explosive passes (by the Titans). It’s been a long time since we’ve been able to say that. I think we’re playing as good as we’ve ever played here.

BS: How much better are you as a head coach than last season?

LF: (Smiles.) I think I’ve improved. I think the more you do this the better you’re going to get at it. I’d like to think I’ve definitely improved, for sure.

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